Protect This Smile
by kuppcake
Summary: After the destruction of Star Killer, Poe is exhausted. When he gets a chance to have some unexpected downtime he's not as excited for the chance as he would expect. Not canon compliant.


Fell in love with Poe Dameron after _The Force Awakens_ and wrote this one-shot a while ago. I wanted to get this out before TLJ comes out tonight and Friday and I know I'm cutting it close. As I stated in my Finn Fic, I'm not super well-versed in Star Wars lore so some terminology may be incorrect. I also don't own any of the recognizable characters, names, terminology, locations, etc. I probably wouldn't have any student loan debt if I did. No copyright infringement is intended. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

The medical bay was filled with quiet chatter as Resistance members murmured to the few bedridden pilots from the battle on Takodana and those injured after the Star Killer mission. Those who walked past where he was sitting by spared thoughtful and curious glances at the unconscious former stormtrooper and gave the Commander respectful nods. The entire base had pretty much pulled a complete 180 from the previous day. Poe was glad that things had calmed down since then.

After Star Killer had been destroyed and Rey rescued, the entire base was in an uproar of excitement as its members reported in, communications officers continued to try and get in contact with off-planet allies to assure their safety after the destruction of the Republic, and the remaining pilots of Black Squadron returned from their mission bruised and even a little bloody. Voices were raised as directions were being shouted all around in the flight hangar all the way to the residential halls where friends joyfully reunited and celebrated the Resistance's victory, even if they were unsure how significant it would be in the long run. The positive energy emanated off of everyone and Poe welcomed it.

Poe himself was drained and his ears were still ringing from all the explosions and his fallen friends screaming through their comms. After he had climbed out his X-Wing, he had watched with baited breath and muffled hearing as Finn was taken quickly from the Falcon to the medical bay. Amid the activity and celebration of a success, they all mourned the loss of the fallen pilots and Han Solo. Poe knew the General was putting on a strong face for her people, the way she always had. The news of Han Solo's death had given his close friends' cheerfulness a substantial hit. Poe didn't know the man well but he saw his significance in the faces of some of the Resistance's older members. The younger members knew the stories but not the man himself.

It had been a few hours of staring at his ceiling before he was able to fall into a heavy sleep. He knew he was exhausted when he didn't remember dreaming about being in the cockpit with flames and debris surrounding him as he often did after eventful missions. All he could recall thinking before falling asleep was that the war was not yet over and what that meant for those he cared about. Her smile came to mind.

Poe was seated silently next to Finn's bed in a gray t-shirt and black lounge pants. Rey had already gone to follow the map to Luke Skywalker and there wasn't much for him to do at the moment. Especially when the other pilots had all but demanded he gets some rest yesterday. He had half a mind to point out that he was their commander before the General had echoed their sentiment when he had met with her later in the evening. He had lightly suggested she do the same. The woman's eyes echoed the fatigue and pain she was experiencing even if she had done well to hide it.

"Call your wife, Dameron. Better yet, go see her while the First Order is regrouping. You never know when the chance will present itself again, if ever," a familiar voice called.

He looked up to see General Organa standing in the entryway of the medical bay.

A grimace worked its way onto his face as he took in her suggestion. "I'm pretty sure if I go, I might not come back. She'll ask about the mission and then she'll kill me for being reckless," he said.

"Maybe it'll knock some sense into you," Leia said, a twinkle of amusement in her tired eyes.

Poe rolled his eyes and huffed. He thought that the last thing on her mind would be trying to get him to go home. Knowing the General, she was trying to keep herself busy, trying to occupy her mind to numb the pain of her loss. He knew that somewhere beneath the pain there was also excitement. If all went as planned she would be reunited with her brother in the near future. Poe prayed that the reunion would occur. He also knew that part of her suggestion was from her own inability to be with those she held dear and called family.

"There's a shuttle leaving for Yavin IV in a few hours. I'll send you any updates if he wakes up or if you're needed back immediately," she said gesturing to the former Stormtrooper.

He had a sneaking suspicion that he would be one of the only people on the shuttle to his home planet, that she had set it up for him solely. He couldn't deny that it was a good offer. A generous offer in the midst of a war where every pilot and ship could be needed at a moments notice. He looked from Finn to the ground before finally looking up at Leia.

"Fine," he said. He leaned closer towards his friend and spoke. "You better be awake when I get back, man."

He gave the general a nod and exited the med bay. Before he was more than a few feet away from the entry, the General spoke again.

"Dameron," she called.

The pilot turned. Her eyes were soft; an expression he didn't often see on her face.

"You're going to be a great father," she said giving him a smile. "You will have doubts and fears, but you'll learn. You will make mistakes and have to live with the consequences. There will be days where you question if you're doing it right and you'll feel like crap."

She was quiet for a moment. "But, you'll see their smile or hear a laugh and it will make the struggle worth it," she said with a small smile.

Poe stood silently for a moment. "Thank you, General." He gave her a final wave before heading towards his room to gather his belongings.

* * *

He was confused to see Jessika Pava standing outside of his door. She smirked when she saw him.

"Shouldn't you be resting? It's still relatively early," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"You taking the offer?" she asked, her lips slightly upturned.

"How do you know about the offer?" he said giving her a quizzical look and folding his arms over his chest.

She shrugged. "You know how. I'm here to make sure you pack and actually get on the shuttle," she said with a knowing grin.

Poe huffed but smiled. "I feel like I'm being ganged up on here," he said turning to open his door.

When it was open, Jessika followed him inside. She smiled down at BB-8 who rolled over quickly to greet them. "Hey, little guy. Ready to go on a trip?" she asked.

The unit swiveled around and made a beep of curiosity at Poe. "We're going to see Audri," he said.

The astromech droid squealed with glee and both humans in the room laughed at his excitement. Poe walked over to his closet and pulled out a decently sized duffle bang. "Any idea how long I should be packing for?" he asked the other pilot as he tossed the bag on his bed and looked through his clothes.

"A few days. If things stay calm you may get a week," she said.

The Commander turned his attention back to his guest. "It's not that I don't want to go see Audri, it's just - "

"You're nervous about leaving right after such a big battle. You can't carry us all on your shoulders constantly," she said cutting him off. "And we're not ganging up on you. We all just know how you are," Pava continued.

"And how am I?" he asked trying not to sound frustrated. He returned his gaze to the closet and pulled out a few shirts, but didn't miss her sigh.

"You're a dedicated man who would wear himself down if nobody was around to tell you to ease up. Audri hasn't been around to do so, although I have gotten a fair share of messages telling me to make sure you don't run yourself into the ground literally and figuratively. We'll be okay for a few days Poe," she said.

He looked up when she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Go see Audri and tell her how much I miss sharing the sky with her. Also, I would like to confirm my godmother status," she said.

Poe rolled his eyes and chuckled before nodding. "I'll pass the message along, but I won't make any promises," he said.

He felt guilty for not being more excited to go home. The woman who held his heart and carried their child was there, but the voice in the back of his mind reminded him that the war wasn't over and anything could happen at any time, even with the Orders' recent loss.

* * *

Poe had been overjoyed when Audriana found out she was pregnant. He had danced around the Medbay like a child given too much sugar, much to the amusement of those in the area. She had watched him with glowing brown eyes. That first night, his mind was full of thoughts about teaching the child to fly and seeing them off to their first day of flight school. But as the weeks progressed and the Order continued to ransack and massacre villages and Audri's stomach grew, so did his apprehension. When the time came for her to stop flying missions she had been understanding, but miserable. He hated seeing her anything less than happy. Her smile was one of his favorite things in the universe.

 _"Being grounded makes me feel...lost. It's only been two weeks and I already feel stuck."_

 _"I know you do. I know you hate this, darling. But think of that happy little chubby face that will be happy you were here on the ground and not in the line-sight of a TIE fighter or flying through debris. I don't think I'd even be able to focus if you were out there."_

 _She gave him a watery smile, her bottom lip trembling. "You barely focused before I was pregnant."_

When the Order had begun questioning captives about the map and the Resistance base, they decided together that it would be best that she wasn't on the base.

 _Tears ran down her face. She already knew what he was going to say. "I have to go, don't I? We talked about it, but it's actually time," she said._

 _He responded by pulling her into his arms. He held her as close as he could, the reason for his concern pressed between their bodies. She was showing quite obviously now. This little person that they had made was relying on them for safety, would rely on them for years to come. He didn't want to be parted with her, especially not in her state, but he knew it was for the best. Base life, even when off-duty was stressful and she didn't need any more of that._

 _"The Order is stepping up their game. Four settlements have already been wiped out. We want to trust our supporters, but some people will do anything if it means they're not massacred," he said._

 _A growl-like sound of frustration and pain came from her throat. "Those troopers would get the information and kill them anyway," she spat._

 _He pulled back and held her chin lightly, making her look up at him. "They won't get anywhere near you," he said lowly._

 _She nodded. "Maybe not, but I'll still worry about you. Maybe I can keep an ear on the ground in case I hear anything. I wouldn't mind being helpful in some way."_

 _"Don't go diving back into those spy techniques," he said with a smirk. "You liked that body suit I had to wear that time," she replied._

 _"Probably a little too much," he murmured before giving her a chaste kiss._

 _"There's nobody on Dandoran I want to stay with. Jess is here, my other friends are all over now and would probably be too afraid to take in a Resistance fighter, and my parents are on Coruscant," she said._

 _"Already solved. My dad says you can have my room. He needs some help around the house anyway," Poe said._

The destruction of the Hosnian system did nothing to calm his nerves. What if the Order targeted his home planet next to search for ways to one-up the Resistance? It was the home of an old Rebel base. Not only would he lose his wife and unborn child, but his father, childhood friends, and a place that held memories of his mother and a childhood amongst the foliage and breathtaking views from the cockpit.

He reigned himself in when he caught sight of green view of his homeworld. When they entered the atmosphere and he spotted the lush treetops, he couldn't the smile that spread across his face.

Poe was grateful that he hadn't been the one fly the ship during the trip. As he walked towards his family's home, he waved at familiar faces in the market and regrettably told more than one person that he couldn't stop and chat yet, but promised he would return the next day. He remembered running from vendor to vendor as a child and pointing out cool things to his mother. When he came over the hill leading to his childhood home, he spotted her. She was lounging on a green wicker chair, an orange cushion beneath her bringing comfort. He smiled at the sight and the blooming garden that surrounded her.

His mother, Shara, had found solace after her career in the plants that surrounded their home. Poe was happy to see that Audri had tended to this year's bloom. A project she had probably argued with his father, Kes, about taking over. The older Dameron had probably cited the woman's growing abdomen and the effect of the heat as a deterrent, but Poe knew his wife had charm and way with words that had won his father over. He wondered briefly if she had experienced the Force tree out back.

He began the trek down the hill, amused that the woman hadn't looked up from the holopad she was reading. He wanted to roll his eyes at the cliché moment that followed. A fallen twig snapped under his boot and his wife immediately looked up, her body tensing momentarily. He was pleased to see that her reflexes hadn't dulled at all.

"Well, well. If it isn't my sexy, overworked husband," she said. A bright smile stretched across her face and Poe marveled at how her espresso complexion glowed under the sunlight. She used the chair as leverage to slowly push herself up.

"That would be me. Although, I'm not feeling too sexy right now," he said making his way across the yard.

When he reached her she was standing and he quickly pulled her into his arms. "I missed you," he breathed into her hair, pressing a kiss into her curls, which she had piled into a bun on top of her head.

Poe pulled away when he felt a nudge against his torso. Audriana laughed and took a step back. "We've missed you too," she hummed rubbing her belly.

He stepped closer and placed his hand on top of hers. "That was quite a kick. I think we may be raising a little Jedi," he said with a grin.

"We'd be in a heap of trouble with a Force-sensitive kid who could possibly inherit your proclivity for trouble and recklessness," she said. She privately thought of all the messages her mother had been sending lately, asking questions about her pregnancy and if she had felt anything in the Force. Audri was barely Force-sensitive and rarely toyed with the life energy around her.

"May the Force have mercy on us," he said looking skyward. She giggled and placed her other hand on his chest.

"Let's get you something to eat. I was just about to get started on lunch. Your dad is out visiting friends and lucky for you I just restocked," she said.

Poe took her hand in his and let her lead him inside. As he took in her profile and smile on her face, he silently vowed that he would do everything in his power to protect his wife, their growing family, and the new and old people in his life; those recovering on D'Qar and those traveling to find Skywalker, the ones like Snap, who even with lull in action were preparing for the next battle. He would protect this smile.

"So Poe, tell me about this last mission. I spoke to Snap briefly about it before he called it a night yesterday," Audri said, pulling him from his thoughts.

His eyes widened as he imagined what his friend and teammate had told his wife.

* * *

That's all folks! Leave a review and let me know what you think. Hopefully I caught any mistakes.


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